Monday, 28 March 2011

RECOMMENDED: Dorian Concept – Her Tears Taste Like Pears [Ninja Tune]

Rightfully lumped in the whole ‘beats’ movement that exploded around LA and the release of Flying Lotus debut album Los Angeles album, Austrian producer Dorian Concept has since moved on. His ‘Trilingual Dance Sexperience’ 12” on the Affine label, upped the tempo, along with the quota for facemelting synthesizer workouts and since then he’s stood out during his live performances, unleashing new material live on the mini KORG (using anything and everything to hand – a shoe or his face are two memorable examples). Her Tears Taste Like Pears then, is his first outing for Ninja Tune - a label whose continual metamorphosis now includes Slugabed, an SR favourite whose recently signed to the label - and it really highlights Concept’s knack for caterwauling lead lines.

‘Thankyou For All Time Forever’ sets the tone for the 4 track EP perfectly. With the bassline permeating the found sound suddenly it’s the lay up for the title track’s alley-oop slam dunk. As the eponymous track rises and bubbles its evolutions dissipate, with the kick drum’s punch nailing the whole thing to the dancefloor. ‘My Face Needs Food’ travels that rude boy techno route we’ve come to expect from Wigflex staple the Hizatron, the kick drums toying with their route notes as the synths drape their melodies over the top, pirouetting down through the laser tones into ‘Toe Games Made Her Giggle.’ ‘Toe Games...’ centres itself around two things, the swell of the keyboards and the gallop of the drums, playing out like a high pitched sprint to the finish of the EP.

Her Tears... is a solid example of the kind of genius Dorian Concept, himself something of a child piano prodigy, is capable of; it’s frenetic, but grounded by the harmonics and chord structures. Whilst other producers might hone in on the beat, rigorously pushing the shuffle or reaching for the pound to get their point across, Concept does what he does best, layering harmonious synth after synth to jaw dropping effect.